Resilient tire.



M1 c. ROGERS.

RESILIENT TIRE. APPLICATION FILED I`I'.B.15,1912.l l

1,064,381 Patented June 1o, 1913.

parrain srnrns Pa-ruhr onirica.

MARSHALL C. ELOGERS, OF WILLIAMS, CALIFORNIA.

BESILIENT TIRE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 1o, 191s.

Application led February 15, 1912. Serial Noi 677,848.

I portion; it being an object of the invention to the greatto provide a Wheel eliminating 1r any meta 1c est possible extent 'the use o springs, or of air cushions and other elements which are readilyrendered inoperative. rEhe -wheel consists for the-most part of substantial, metallic members so mounted with relation to each other that a substantial, durable, yet suiliciently yielding structure is obtained. p

il'a invention consists of the parts and tl.,` enstruction and combination of parts as hereinafter. more fully described and` claimed, having reference to the accompanyingrdrawings, in Whichf j .igure 1 is a transverse section of the improved wheel rim. Fig. 2. is a sideelevation in partial section of the wheel rim.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a socket or` cup. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spring and its adjustable bushing. Y Fig.l 5 is a perspective view of the bushing nut. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion 'of a cup spacer. Fig. 7 is an end view of a modified form of the spring cup.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention 2 represents. the felly of a Wheel, upon which may be attached a clencher i ring, las 3, Fig. 1, or another form of 'clencher ring, as 4, Fig. 7.

, At suitable intervals circumferentially around the clencher ring 3 there is provided a series of cup-like members 5 having at one side downwardly hanging flanges 6 adapted to be pressed into engagement With the adjacent edge of the clencher'ring 3. On the opposite edge of the cup 5 is provided a spur or projection 7, Which'may be Iregistered with a' socket or depression 8 formed inthe clencheir flange 3. The purpose or" the projection 7 is .topi-event circumferential movement of' the cup 5 about or on the rim 3, and in orderto lock` the cup 5 in place against lateralmovement, a snap or lock ring 9 may be interposed between the bottom of the cup 5 and grooved surface of the clencher ring 3. In practice the snap ring is first placedupon the rim 3 `and then the cups, 5, are arranged upon the rim, with the button, 7, engaging the socket, 8, of the rim. Then the cups, 5, are pressed or forced' down over the snap ring, 9, with the lips or flanges, 6, against the adjacent edge of the rim, 3, so that the ring prevents the cups 5 from moving sidewise;

also the cups will be held do-Wn on the seat or rim, 3, by the pressure of the rubber cushion 10.

VIn each of the cups 5 attached to the clencher ring 3 there is inserted a substantial, highly resilient, flexible spring member v or bearing 10, which may be of a good quality of rubber or {1f/some other material appropriate for that'purpose.- The lower endof the spring device or cushion 10 issub- Vstantially flat and formed eylindrically to lit snugly in the cup 5; the upper end of the l cushion 10 being rounded or egg-shaped and adapted to seat in a bushing or socket member 11, externally threaded at 12 to be adl justable in a nut 13. l

The nut 13`is provided With a closed end or diaphragm 14, from the center of which projects a pin 15. Surrounding the assem- -bled Wheel structure, consisting of the parts 3-5-10-1213, is acircumfercntial hollow or annularly concaved rim 16 of sucient width to substantially inclose and proteet the nuttflB with its connected parts; the

riiiv 16 bein'g provided with a series of perforations L7 into which may project the pin 15 on the end of the nut 13.

The Wheel rim 16 may be of any suitable 'material which is durable and' substantial,

and may be aluminum, bronze, or any other appropriate material. The periphery of the rim is annularly recessed, as-'at 18, toreceive a suitable fiexible wearing tread 19Which may be of rubber, composition or other desirable substance. Y

In assembling the Wheel the' several cups 5 'are arranged in their respective positionsb on the clencher ring 3 and the spring cushions 10 arranged therein, at which time the spring seats or bushings 11 may have been screwed compactly into. the nuts 13 and these assembled inlorder in their respective places in the rim 16. When the rim 16 has been circinnferentially placed 'over' the clencher ring 3, so that the cushions 10 spring into their respective sockets or bushings 11, the bushings are then moved outwardly in the nuts 13 by turning the latter with any suitable tool, which maybe applied beneath the downward turned iianges of the rim 16.4

The outward movement of the nuts 13 puts the several resilient cushions 10 under the desired lstate of compression, which in practice will be of such degree as to permit a suflicient movement of the outerportion of the wheel, consisting of the part 16 and the nuts 13 to and from the central portion of the wheel consisting of the felly and its associated parts.

It will be observed that by the present device I have avoided the use of metallic springs of all characters and have eliminated air cushions, which are diflicult of maintenance, and substituted in lieu thereof a durable and appropriate device consisting of the resilient buer or cushion 10, which, being compressible and expansible, provides an extremely advantageous means of obtaining a resilient wheel.

For the purpose of excluding dust, mud and other foreignv material from the interior of the rim 16 and the other parts of the wheel, I introduce curtains 20 which may' be of suitable flexible material, one for each side of the rim l6geach curtain being providedwith outer expansible rings or springs 21 adapted to engage supporting ears 22 on the fianges of the rim 16, and each curtain having inner contract-ile rings or springs 23 adapted to contact into snug engagement with, and rest upon, bearings 23.', which in the present instance may be at the sides of the cup 5. This curtain structure is both simple and inexpensive and may be readily removed and replaced with great facility when desired.

For the purpose of adding to the general appearance of the structure and the further function of preventing circumferential movement of the several cushion seats 5, I introduce between the facing edges of each of the seats an arcuate filler or bead 24, Fig. 6, of such transverse shape or contour as to embrace the clencher lock ring 9 and extend around the adjacent edge of the clencher ring 3.

In order to render the present improvement readily adaptable to either va detachable rim structure, such as shown in Fig. 1 at 3, or as shown 1n Fig. 7 at 4, I provide aslightl modified form of cup, as 5a, Fig.

7, the e ges of the base of' which are conformed to the flanges of the clencher ring 4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a vehicle tire, the combination with a central wheel structure and a clencher ring, of a plurality of upper and 'lower socket members, resilient buffers interposed between said members, said lower socketmembers each being of cup-shape and having one side edge formed with a downwardly hanging flange adapted to be pressed into engagement with theadjacent edge of the clencher ring, and having at the opposite side edge means engaging said ring and the clencher ring and having at the oppo-` site side edge a projection adapted to t a socket or depression in-the clencher ring, whereby said lower socket member is held against circumferential movement.

3. In a vehicle tire, the combination with a central wheel structure, a clencher ring, and a wheel rim having a tread portion, of a plurality of upperl andlower socket members, resilient buffers interposed between said members, said lower members being held to the clencher ring against circumferential movement and said upper socket members being formed of two parts one threaded on the other, one of said parts having a projection, and said wheel rim having a perforation to receive said projection.

4. An improvedvehicle tire, comprising a central wheel structure, a clencher ring, .a wheel rim having a tread portion, a vseries of lower socket members seated on the against circumferential movement, a series of upper socket members formed of two parts one of which is externally threaded and the other is internally threaded and fashioned as a nut and having means interlocking with tle 'wheel' rim, buffers interposed between the upper and lower socket members, and side curtains of flexible material provided with expansible rings adapted to engage the wheel rim and lower socketl members respectively;

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. y MARSHALL C. ROGERS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE C. CoMsrocK, GEORGE H. SIMMONS. 

